Summary

  • Lawyers for Hillsborough families pursue High Court misconduct action against South Yorkshire and West Midlands police forces

  • Retired police officers who served in South Yorkshire in the 1980s are told to be "proud" of their work

  • Calls for South Yorkshire Police's chief constable to be sacked after his suspension over Hillsborough

  • Some Hillsborough families call for prosecutions to follow from the inquests findings

  • Updates on Thursday 28 April

Live Reporting

Jenny Coleman

  1. West Midlands Police issue statement about Hillsborough lawsuit

    West Midlands Police has responded to the legal action being taken against it by some families whose relations died in the Hillsborough disaster.

    A statement from the force's Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said: "Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of loved ones who died and were injured in the Hillsborough tragedy.

    “We recognise the impact the inquests have brought upon them.

    “We aware of the ongoing proceedings."

  3. West Midlands force added to 'institutional abuse' post-Hillsborough

    The investigation by West Midlands Police into the conduct of South Yorkshire officers at Hillsborough added to the suffering by victims' families, say lawyers for some of the families.

    HillsboroughGetty Images

    Saunders Law Solicitors, which is filing a legal claim on behalf of some families, said the evidence suggested "institutional misfeasance" by the two forces against fans.

    The firm added the evidence by both South Yorkshire and West Midlands Police, went beyond any "one bad apple" analysis,

  4. 'Rollercoaster' of emotions since conclusion of inquests, says campaigner

    When asked on the BBC News Channel about the action being brought by Saunders Law, Sheila Coleman of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign said: "It is an indictment on our society that the only way to bring people in power to account is to hit them where it hurts.

    She added: "It has been a rollercoaster since Tuesday. We are all a bit confused and elated. There is a whole range of emotions. There is a lot of elation and anger."

  5. Families' legal action based on claim police forces 'misused their power'

    The legal action against South Yorkshire and West Midlands Police by Saunders Law is based on the legal concept of misfeasance in public office.

    The Hillsborough inquests jury found on Tuesday that the 96 victims were unlawfully killed and there were police failings.

    Many family members and supporters reacted with jubilation when the jury delivered its conclusionsReuters

    Misfeasance in public office is a civil action against the holder of a public office, alleging that the office-holder has misused or abused his or her power.

  6. Questions raised about police briefing to MPs after Hillsborough

    Questions are being raised about a presentation given to MPs by a senior South Yorkshire police officer following the Hillsborough disaster. 

    Sir Norman Bettison - Merseyside's former chief constable - was a superintendent in South Yorkshire at the time and had been invited to the Commons to brief members on the investigation.

    Sir Norman refutes any insinuation he was involved in a "black propaganda exercise" but the former Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell says it's "possible" the film shown used selective footage designed to influence how MPs felt about the disaster.

    If the police came to the House of Commons with a determination to do other than fully inform members of parliament and to push a certain line then in my view that was a grave breach of their responsibility, which cannot be justified. And if there are families who have reason to believe that that's what the police were intent on then they are entitled to be completely indignant and dismissive of the way in which the police behaved.

    Sir Menzies Campbell

  7. Responses to legal claims requested from West Midlands and South Yorkshire police forces

    The BBC has contacted both West Midlands Police and South Yorkshire Police for a response to the legal claims being brought in relation to Hillsborough by Saunders Law.

  8. Class action taken against South Yorkshire Police and West Midlands Police

    A law firm representing some of the Hillsborough families has tweeted a statement saying it is bringing a class action against South Yorkshire and West Midlands Police.

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  9. Listen: Lord Blunkett says police need 'strong and positive leadership'

    Jenny Cork
    BBC Sheffield news

    A group which represents former officers from South Yorkshire Police has responded to the Hillsborough inquests by telling its members they should be proud of their work in the 1980s. 

    A message from the retired officers' association, which was accidentally made public, acknowledged that mistakes were made but praised officers as dedicated and full of courage. 

    The former Sheffield MP David - now Lord Blunkett - who was MP for Brightside and Hillsborough at the time of the disaster in 1989, says the South Yorkshire Police Force needs strong and positive leadership.

    Former Sheffield MP, Lord Blunkett on future leadership of South Yorks Police

  10. New York City FC fans fly banner supporting the Hillsborough 96

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  11. Police forces face Hillsborough families' legal action
    Breaking

    Families of football fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster are pursuing High Court misconduct action against the South Yorkshire and West Midlands police forces, lawyers have said. 

    The inquests jury found victims were unlawfully killed and there were police failings.

    Families have lodged claims of misfeasance in public office, said Saunders Law Solicitors. 

    Legal action began in 2015 but was suspended pending the conclusions.

  12. Children's Hillsborough tributes at Liverpool vigil

    Newsround

    Children and teenagers have been among the thousands of people remembering the Hillsborough disaster victims in Liverpool city centre.

    A special service was held at St George's Hall on Wednesday evening to remember the 96 football fans who died in 1989.

    They explain why they came to pay tribute.

    May and Lizzie

  13. Hillsborough families' lawyers to pursue High Court misconduct claims against police
    Breaking

    Lawyers for the Hillsborough families are to pursue High Court misconduct action against South Yorkshire and West Midlands police forces.

  14. South Yorkshire Police needs 'profound culture change' says Nick Clegg

    Jenny Cork
    BBC Sheffield news

    South Yorkshire Police must undergo "a profound culture change" in the wake of the Hillsborough inquests conclusions, former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said.

    Nick CleggPA

    The Sheffield Hallam MP added: "Something's gone very, very wrong in South Yorkshire Police. It's not just what happened 27 years ago, it's not just perpetuating the lies and myths in the inquests.

  15. SYP has been 'torn apart by scandal', says leader of Hillsborough Independent Panel

    There are growing calls for a complete overhaul of South Yorkshire Police, following the damning verdicts against the force during the inquests. The current chief constable David Crompton has been suspended. 

    Professor Phil Scraton, who led the research team on the Hillsborough Independent Panel, says the Home Secretary Theresa May must do something to address the problems in the South Yorkshire force.

    It is a police force that has inherently,structurally going right back to Orgreave in the early 1980s, right the way through to Hillsborough and beyond and right up to recently with Rotherham has been absolutely torn apart by scandal. And that issue around the political accountability of a police force has to be dealt with - the question is what do you do.

    Professor Phil Scraton

    Phil Scraton

  16. Hillsborough disaster: Aerial footage shows huge Liverpool vigil

    Thousands attend a vigil in Liverpool to remember the 96 people who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Watch aerial footage of the 30,000 strong crowd.

    Hillsborough vigil

  17. Hillsborough reaction: Latest headlines

    Today's top stories:

    • Retired police officers who served in South Yorkshire in the 1980s are told to be "proud" of their work despite the findings of the Hillsborough inquests
    • There are calls for South Yorkshire Police's chief constable to be sacked following his suspension amid strong criticism of the force's handling of the Hillsborough disaster  
    • Some Hillsborough families call for prosecutions to follow from the inquests findings

  18. Message to retired SYP officers 'poorly thought through', says former police chief

    Retired police officers who served in South Yorkshire in the 1980s have been told to be proud of their work - despite the findings of the Hillsborough inquests.  

    Peter Neyroud, former head of the now defunct National Police Improvement Agency and the former chief constable of Thames Valley Police, says the message was poorly thought through:   

    There are undoubtedly officers who've done fantastic things in South Yorkshire over the past 20 or 30 years, of course there are. But that was neither the moment to make that comment, nor indeed the way to phrase it. And it does seem to reflect, a 'we don't seem to have quite understood the seriousness of this'.

    Peter Neyroud

  19. Analysis: The message to retired South Yorkshire Police officers

    Dan Johnson
    BBC News

    Retired South Yorkshire police officers were told to be proud of their work, despite the inquests' conclusions.

    A message on a website for the force's retired officers said they had served dedicated and courageous careers.

    These comments may have been intended to privately lift morale among retired officers after another bruising week for all connected with South Yorkshire Police.

    But now they've been inadvertently made public. There is recognition that many officers tried to do their best, but these comments have caused further upset.

    There are also police officers out on the streets of South Yorkshire today who have to get on with a difficult job while their organisation is in turmoil. The force is dogged by the scandals of its past failures and moving on will be not be easy. 

  20. Five Hillsborough myths dispelled by inquests jury

    Five myths about Liverpool fans' behaviour on the day of the Hillsborough disaster were among the main obstacles for families seeking justice. 

    What do we now know about how they were perpetuated?

    Hillsborough stadiumHillsborough Inquests